Protect
by Yami Dragoness of Dark
Summary: You helped me, so now I’ll protect you in your weakest moment. And maybe they’ll let us be together. GinRangiku one shot. Feel the love! During and after the Arrancar war issue thing. Enjoy. rated for language.


Came to mind after reading one too many Gin Ichimaru and Rangiku Matsumoto fan fictions. So now I want to do one.

Summary: You helped me, so now I'll protect you in your weakest moment. And maybe they'll let us be together.

Yes, that's both of them talking. Because…well you'll see.

Disclaimer: I don't own anything or anyone in Bleach…except for special someones that will appear at the end.

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Protect

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Why did I leave you? You can't take care of yourself. You'd get yourself into trouble while in a _coma_! I leave you for a week and you're getting yourself drunk and surrounded by guys that are evil rapists. At least in my mind. And every time you get drunk, I kick all their asses and drag you back home. Your singing hurts my ears when you sing off key. But thinking back to it now, I love your singing. Now, in this empty desolate place, all I think about is you. And how much I miss you.

I think I made a big mistake, Rangiku. A really big mistake. I left you alone. I left you in the SS all alone, with no one who knows how to protect you. I'm the only one who knows where you go to drink when you want to be alone. I'm the only one who knows how to drag you home. I'm the only one who knows how to hold you when you start crying because of something silly, but seems very important to you. I'm the only one who knows you at all, who knows you enough to help you and protect you. I'm the only one who knows how to make you smile and laugh. And you're the only one who knows how to make me feel complete.

Rangiku, do you hate me now? You're amongst your friends who will protect you from some things. They'll try to make you smile, and might manage. But you're still upset at me, aren't you. Do you want to kill me? Do you want to beat me to a bloody pulp for what I've done? I wish you had kept a hold on me long. I wish you had held onto me forever. I would have stayed with you if you hadn't let go. I would have called to Aizen, saying, "Sorry, I'm stuck here!" And I'd have watched him go, smiling.

I'm really sorry. I didn't want to go. But by the time I realized how much I would miss you, I was in too deep. I couldn't get out. Not just because I would get in trouble, but because I never quit. I'm sorry. So sorry. Please forgive me for what I've done to you. I made you suffer. And now, I'm making myself suffer. I can't eat, I don't drink, and I can't sleep without seeing your sad face as I left.

Rangiku, if I came back, would you accept me? If I fell to my knees and begged you, would you let me come back? I'd follow you everywhere. I'd let them torture me forever, as long as I knew that you still loved me, and would let me go back to you. I'll always accept you, but that's not what I'm worried about. It's you. Do you still love me? Will you still love me after all this? Please say yes. Please, please, please, I'm begging you. I'll fall if it means you'll let me fall into your arms. I'll cut myself a thousand times if I know you'll be there to heal me. I left you, but the truth is, I can't live without you.

Aizen notices my actions. Or lack of. I got hurt the other day. I blacked out. I fainted from lack of food, water, and sleep. He knows something it up. He came to ask me what's wrong. I couldn't tell him that I'm unable to do anything without seeing your face. He'd kill you. I know it. You're unprotected, in the human world. If he'd gone to kill you, I would have to jump in-between his sword and you. Than I'd die, and than I really couldn't help you ever again. He'd kill you than. And I don't want you following me to the grave.

Gin opened his eyes slowly, staring up at the ceiling. Aizen had told him to eat a banquet of food and drink a sea of water, or else he would shove it all down his throat. So he ate, slowly. He drank the tea and water quickly. He was thirsty. Very thirsty. But he wasn't hungry. It reminded him too much of Rangiku, and when he found her on the ground, so hungry. 'She wouldn't want me to get hungry,' he told himself, eating the food slowly. He closed his eyes and bowed his head as an image of Rangiku came into his mind. Her laughing face, her loving eyes. He could feel her presence, the warmth her body emitted when he hugged her, and how her body fit perfectly in his arms.

A tear slid from his eye. Shit. How he missed her.

And then the last attack came. When Aizen sent his forces out, with him leading them, determined to kill and crush everyone within the city that Rangiku inhabited, Gin followed, silently. At the last minute, he turned to Gin and said, "Gin, you'll take the second quadrant. I want you to kill the captain, and his lieutenant that are there." He meant little Icy, and Rangiku. He watched, smirking, as Gin slowly nodded, making sure not to show the desperate hate that was welling up inside his heart. "Good, go."

He left, taking a third of the army with him. How he hated this. Why must Aizen torture him so? Just because that cold bastard never had someone to love, he had to go and hurt those who do love.

He couldn't fight when he arrived. Rangiku was sitting out there, crying as she stared at the starry sky. She didn't know what was about to happen. What he wouldn't have given to stop her crying. Silently, he walked over to her. The army was hidden, waiting to attack. 'I want to protect you,' he thought silently kneeling down behind her. She still hadn't noticed him. 'I don't want you to die before me.' He leaned forward, placing his hand over her, and resting his head on her shoulder. He felt her stiffen. 'I want to live a life with you.'

"Hello Rangiku," he said, loudly enough for all around to hear. He could feel her tense, ready to jump and attack. He drew his arms around her. "Run," he whispered as the shinigami/hollows leapt from their hiding places. Without giving her a chance to react, he pushed her away with all his might. Little Icy had come upon hearing his voice. He glared up at Gin. His expression turned to one of shock when Gin practically threw Rangiku at the small captain with a command of. "TAKE HER AND GET AWAY!"

As he watched, Gin turned, drawing his zanpakuto and lunging for the arrancar that had poured into site. A hundred, maybe more. And he attacked them all.

Rangiku and Toshiro stared at Gin as he turned on his own men and began to attack them. The demons screeched upon seeing their leader's betrayal. They didn't even go after the two shinigami just standing there, watching them. Instead, they attacked Gin. Even Gin couldn't stand against a hundred arrancar. And within the first ten minutes, he staggered to the side as a large claw sliced into his arm.

The blood flying into the air knocked Rangiku back to her senses. She screamed and struggled to get out of her captain's hold. "GIN! GIN!" She kicked out, managing to dislodge herself from his grip. Without waiting, she dived for her love. Gin turned suddenly. She didn't even see his arm strike out till it connected with her. And then she was flying away from him, crying out with pain from her face, where he had slapped her.

"GET OUT OF HERE!"

The next thing he felt was pain. Someone had stabbed him. He heard a scream, and the sword disappeared from his side. Rangiku. She was fighting, massacring those around her with deadly accuracy and anger. He watched through a pained haze as the young captain joined in the fight. They were fighting. And they were loosing.

An arrancar sliced upward at Rangiku, effectively knocking her off her feet and into a nearby wall. Gin saw this. A sword glinted, ready to shed blood. Toshiro turned and yelled something. Gin lunged forward. Rangiku screamed.

Blood flew everywhere. Toshiro stared in horror at the scene before him. Rangiku slowly opened her eyes when she didn't feel the cold steel of a blade in her. Instead, she felt a pair of warm arms circling her shoulders, holding her tightly. The sight that greeted her made her scream out, and start sobbing.

"ICHIMARU," roared Toshiro. The man he hated, he despised, who made his lieutenant cry, and hurt the woman he loved, held his lieutenant in his arms, a sword sinking slowly into his stomach. The three stood there for a moment in suspended horror, Rangiku, Gin, and the arrancar. Than the arrancar jerked his sword out, and pivoted around Gin for a clean shot at Rangiku.

It never came. Toshiro just blinked and it started. Gin let out a murderous roar. White light engulfed him and Rangiku. It grew brighter. The boy closed his eyes, unable to take it anymore. The arrancar screamed in horror and pain. Then silence.

The wind broke it first. It rushed in before claming to a simple breeze that made the dry, dead leaves upon the ground dance like puppets. Soon after, Gin choked and fell, hitting the roof hard, his limps sprawled out around him, making him look like a rag doll. His blood pooled around him. Rangiku cried out his name, and hurriedly gathered the fallen silver haired fox face in her arms. The arrancar had disappeared.

"Gin! GIN! Wake up!" When he didn't respond, she threw back her head and screamed, long and loud, into the night. Her scream seemed to let loose some dam. Else where, bombs of spirit energy dropped. Ichigo, Orihime, Chad, Uryu, Renji, Rukia, captains, and lieutenants that had been called at the last instant, all their energies flared from within the confides of the city as Rangiku's scream echoed in the dead of the night.

Toshiro leapt onto the roof, and bent down next to his friend as she sobbed over Gin's limp body. "Let him go," he said softly, placing his hand on her shoulder. She shrugged it off, hugging the traitorous shinigami to her. "He's dead, you can't help him."

"No…NO!" She screamed, shaking her head. Droplets of blood flew from a scratch on her cheek, and tears scattered in the wind. "HE CAN'T BE DEAD!"

"Captain Hitsugaya! Lieutenant Matsumoto!" The captain looked up to see a war messenger baring the fourth squad symbol on his sash dropping down next to him. "Sir! Ma'am! I was ordered to come check in. Are you injured?"

"Yes," Rangiku cried. "G-get Ca-captain Uno-Unohana! W-we ne-need her he-help!" The messenger took one look at Gin, beat up and bloody, and disappeared.

"He's dead!" shouted Toshiro. "Dead! You can't save him!"

"HE'S NOT DEAD," she screamed. "NOT! NOT! NOT!" She refused to say another word till Unohana got there. The other female arrived within five minutes, during which Rangiku cradled Gin to her, humming a song softly.

"Ichimaru-san," she whispered upon seeing the body. She put a hand out and gently touched his neck. After a few seconds, she pulled a small canister from her sleeve and opened it, revealing a green gunk lotion. Toshiro put a hand to his nose as the digesting smell from the stuff reached his nose. "He's alive," Unohana assured Rangiku, giving her a friendly smile. "But if you don't put him down, he won't be alive much longer. I need to treat him now."

With a soft sob, the girl did as was told, and gently laid Gin on the ground. Toshiro looked away, just as disgusted with the treating of a villain as with the smell of whatever that stuff was.

Thirty minutes later, Unohana nodded to Rangiku. "He'll live. But…" She gave the other girl a leveled, serious look. "You have to take him back to the Soul Society now. And he's to go strait into a cell. If I have to, I'll take you both there." She shook her head at the distraught look on the blonde's face. "He committed acts of villainy, he must be punished. And you'll take him there." Her face softened. "He protected you; I think that will help him in the long run."

She left. Silently, Rangiku opened a gate, and with her captain watching her, took Gin through the gate, and back home. Once the door shut, he turned and raced off to rejoin the fight.

He slept for a long time. Even after the fight had ended and people were returning two days later, Gin was still fast asleep in his cell. Toshiro returned to find his lieutenant sitting in the cell, letting the traitor use her lap as a pillow. She had been asleep when he came by, and as much as he hated the man sleeping with his head on her, he didn't have the heart to wake her up.

And as people returned, the news spread like wild fire. First that Aizen was dead, second that Tosen had been captured, third that Ichigo Kurosaki was being sought after for a captain's position, and fourth, that Gin Ichimaru was lying in a cell, unconscious.

People came by to jeer. They usually shouted at Rangiku, who stayed with the unconscious man. "How can you sit with that traitor?" "You're a fool!" "He's going to die!"

She ignored them, or sent them off with a terrifying glare. Captain Yamamoto came at one point. He told Rangiku, point blank, that she was to leave that cell at once. She refused him point blank.

"I'm not leaving him Sir," she said calmly. "He helped me. Now I'll help him in his moment of weakness." And with that, she leaned her head back against the wall, closed her eyes, and ignored the rest of the visitors who stared at her with stunned admiration.

A week later, Tosen's trial took place. It didn't take long to decide he would be executed. Orihime came to tell Rangiku about the news, and offered to try and wake Gin with her healing abilities. The blonde thanked her, very much grateful.

"I'm worried he'll never wake up," Rangiku confided in her friend as Gin was surrounded by a yellowish light. "He's been asleep for so long, and he hasn't moved."

Orihime looked up, and smiled reassuringly. "I'm sure he'll wake up. Gin-san doesn't seem like the kind of man to leave something unfinished. And when I was in Hueco Mundo, he always had to have the last laugh when talking to someone. He seemed pleasant enough…though…" she paused for a moment, looking at Gin's relaxed, and slightly frowning face. "This is the first time I've seen him not smiling."

Rangiku laughed at this. It was true, you were considered lucky to see Gin unsmiling. It was like a miracle. Rangiku was one of the few who had seen every expression Gin bothered to show. They consisted of smiling, grinning, smirking, frowning, neutral, disgust-usually over food-, puzzlement, and at one time, regret. "Yeah, he's weird like that."

The glowing had just begun to fade away when someone opened the cell door. "Orihime, come on," the voice of Ichigo called. Both women looked up to see the most ridiculous sight ever. Ichigo Kurosaki, substitute soul reaper, glaring at anything that dare come near him, wearing a captain's haori. Fifth division at that. "FU&! Why couldn't I have just been a lieutenant," demanded Ichigo, fuming while his girlfriend and friend laughed at him. "I have enough to deal with at home AND STOP LAUGHING!"

The shout reduced the girls to polite giggling. "At least you're not something like division 12 lieutenant," Rangiku pointed out. Ichigo visibly flinched, and shivered.

"I'd rather die," the boy stated blankly. He jerked his head at Orihime. "Come on, we need to get home. See you Rangiku." Orihime stood up and followed her boyfriend out, poking fun of his new captain's position. The lieutenant could hear him whining all the way down the hall. She snorted, some captain.

Something moved on her lap. The movement was followed by a groan, and a pale hand reaching up to grab a fistful of her shirt. "Rangiku…" Sounded a weak, and scratchy voice.

"Gin," she exclaimed. She helped him sit up quickly, as the alternative was to let him pull down her shirt trying to get up on his own. "Are you okay? How do you feel?"

"My eyes hurt, bad," he stated, reaching up to rub them. "It feels like Renji-san burned my throat, my legs are frozen, my arms hurt, and my stomach feels like it does after I drink Byakuya-san's special sake mix, but otherwise, yeah, I'm fine." The last part was said cheerfully as the x-captain leaned against his friend.

"I'll call Captain Unohana-sama," Rangiku told him, starting to push the man off her lap. Gin's hand caught her wrist as he rested his head against her shoulder with a sigh.

"Stay, I'm fine," he muttered, already drifting back to sleep. Rangiku waited, listening. A smile graced her lips when she heard his soft even breathing. Already asleep.

She settled back on the bed. Once comfortable, she sat there; running her fingers through Gin's silky, all the while smiling contently.

Unohana came a few hours later when Gin was just waking up from his seemingly pointless nap. She let herself into the cell and walked over; greet the couple with her usual politeness. "You're looking better," she told him after removing all the bandages. "You should be able to walk again within a week…" The way she said it made it sound like there was more.

"And…"

"Something severed the muscles in your left leg," explained Unohana. "Even with our most advanced medical techniques, we won't be able to give you full use of your leg back. Now," she held up a flash light. "How about you open your eyes for once so I can check your eyes?"

Gin blinked, his silted eyes opening enough to see the red irises behind the lids. He blinked again, a slightly confused expression taking over his face. "Um…what's with the sight restriction spell? If I can't even get up, my eyes won't be much help anyways."

The two women looked at each other. Unohana leaned in, flash light pointed into the crimson eyes. "That's interesting," she whispered in a perfect imitation of Jack Sparrow.

(A week later)

Ichigo…I'm sorry, I mean, Captain Kurosaki (LOL) cast a glance over his shoulder. He was escorting the prisoner Gin Ichimaru, x-captain, and traitor, to his trial. Supporting him were Lieutenant Rangiku Matsumoto, and Lieutenant Isane Kotetsu. Any step he took on his own left leg threatened his balance. And he was stumbling around enough without his eyesight.

No one could figure out how or why his eye sight had vanished. Captain Unohana said that it looked like something had shocked his eye nerves, resulting in either permanent or temporary blindness, depending on how bad the shock had been. Unlike two other recruits who had also lost their sight in the final battle, Ichimaru seemed perfectly at ease with his new dark world. He clung desperately to Rangiku whenever his still recovering senses lost tract of the spirit energy of those around him, or whenever he tried to walk, but other than that, he seemed completely normal.

"Good luck," Ichigo said as he left the three to go join the rest of the captains, including promoted Izuru Kira, and Shuhei Hisagi. As I'm sure you're all wondering about Momo, I'll tell you that she's still lieutenant. She isn't captain because A) she wouldn't take it, and B) she's still has a few boards loose in the attic.

The two lieutenants helped Gin into the seat in the center of the room, surrounded on all sides by benches raising each level. Shinigami of all rank occupied the benches. At the top most level, facing the chair directly, were the captains with Yamamoto in the middle.

"Order in the court," called Chojiro Sasakibe. "Today the Spirit Society is facing Gin Ichimaru. The accused is accused of treason in the highest order, assisting in the murder of Central 46 Chambers, attacking fellow shinigami, plotting to bring about the end of the Soul Society as we know it, and disrespecting orders."

A snort of laughter echoed from the captain of the 5th division. Everyone turned to the new captain with a glare or raised eyebrow. "What?" demanded Ichigo defensively. "You're going on and on about all this stuff that's actually bad, and end with a lame "disrespecting orders". Pardon me if I find that funny."

Several snickered at this, others shook their heads. Captain Yamamoto cleared his throat, indicating to his lieutenant to continue. Nodding, he did so. "How does the defendant plead?"

"Tired, hungry, with a rather irritating pain in my leg, oh and guilty," replied Gin with an air of talking about the weather.

Ichigo grinned, but didn't laugh when a rather painful kick to his leg came from Byakuya, accompanied by a pointed glare. 'Ass,' thought Ichigo.

"Do you have anyway to explain your actions?"

"Nope."

"Do you have anything to say in your defense, like Aizen tricked you?"

"Uhhhh…nope."

"Are you taking this seriously?"

"Completely your most serious lieutenant sir!"

The poor man sighed, figuring that talking to the defendant would just send him to an early grave. "Does anyone in the room have anything to say in this idiot's defense?"

There was the sound of several people rising to their feet. Orihime, Ichigo, Rangiku, and-to everyone's surprise- Toshiro, now stood.

Ichigo raised his hand. "I'll go first." The court's attention shifted to the newly instated captain. "Well," Ichigo began. "I can honestly say I don't like the ass that much. He plotted to get my best friend killed, nearly decapitated me upon our first meeting, skewed said friend's big brother, and whatever else I'm forgetting right now. But in my world, we've got a court system too, and we have a panel of 12 people called a jury that decide based on all evidence, and sometimes the current situation if the crime fits the penalty and if the person is guilty, court him off to jail with the royal guard, or let him free with a weight tied to his ankle.

"I haven't gotten jury duty yet, but I'm familiar with the court system through friends, personal experiences, and too much TV. And in my world. Ichimaru would probably get either life in prison or death, just with the first degree murders of those chamber people, attempted first degree murder of Rukia, almost third degree murder of Byakuya, aggravated assault, and the rest of the truck load.

"But whenever circumstances change, so do the punishments. A girl and her two friends go and get revenge on her boyfriend for giving her you don't wanna know, and by pure accident, she ends up killing him. After running from the scene of the crime, a teacher obsessed with the girl's boyfriend in a very creepy way hits her with her car. She isn't found for at least a day or more. After that, she's completely paralyzed from the ribs down, permanently scarred, and a total wreck. One friend is dead from her brain suffocating because of blood build up, and the other friend is in need of the insane asylum, and some needles with tranquilizer in them.

"Charges aren't pressed against the group because, A) they've suffered, and will suffer for the rest of their lives, B) people vouched for them, C) you can't execute people that young in my world, and D) because while they are suffering forever more in a den of lies, pain, and agony, the boy is dead, and happily in heaven.

"So as far as my vote goes, I'm new to any Spirit World politics and law systems, but death is final, and you can't reverse that. Look at the bastard." He motioned to Gin, who looked rather insulted at being called a bastard. "He's freakin blind, he can't walk strait, and whenever the 11th division decides to have training, or someone lets off a bit too much spirit energy, his recognition system blows up. I highly doubt he'll be much of a threat anymore." It was true. For some reason, anytime someone blew off too much energy within his sensory range, Gin's internal recognition system, and control over spirit energy went south. Unohana couldn't find a probable cause for the condition.

"Speaking of that energy thing, could you put a cork in yours, I just lost sight of myself for the tenth time."

"…okay, that is annoying, but I hardly think sarcasm is deadly."

"I'm serious."

"And I'm through." Without another word, Ichigo plopped down into his seat, and sat back, whistling the theme song to CSI. (MUWAHAHAHA!)

"Thank you for that…expert bit of advice," Yamamoto said, sweat dropping.

"I'll go next," Orihime called, waving her hand in the air. Several voices whispered the question why is she even here as the other orange top stood up. "Um…well…I'm not exactly sure what to say. But I remember in Hueco Mundo, whenever I would meet Ichimaru-san in the halls, he was always nice to me, it might have been an act, but I think he was genuinely happy to talk to someone who had talked to Rangiku-san recently. He even asked about her. And he wasn't mean or anything like the rest of the people there…except Grimmjaw-san, but he was kind of weird…"

"Anything else?"

"Oh…no, that's it." She sat down.

"Thank you, next!"

Toshiro raised his hand to speak. Eyes locked onto him. He sighed, as though stealing himself to say this. "I'll say it simply; I hate that guy there with a passion. I don't think he should be trusted, but I'm biased, so my biased opinion doesn't matter. He came, he pushed my lieutenant out of harms way, and he saved her, shielded her with his own body, and defeated the arrancar that he was supposed to be allied with.

"As much as I hate him, those things count for something. So I vote for suspension of shinigami powers until further notice." And as an after thought he added. "Because I don't need Matsumoto crying and drinking herself drunk everyday because we killed Ichimaru."

By this time by the looks on many people's faces, Rangiku's pleads, and stories of how good and nice Gin were weren't even necessary. Finally Yamamoto called for the final verdict.

"All in favor of death penalty raise your hand." A third of the hands, those stuck up old rule based cranks, were raised. "All in favor of suspension of shinigami powers raise your hand." The remaining two thirds hands shot into the air. Rangiku couldn't contain herself, and jumped up, hugging Gin while keeping the tears back. "Than it's decided. Gin Ichimaru, you are hereby stripped of your shinigami powers until further notice."

"If I'm not a shinigami, do I still have to act respectfully to the captains?"

"…Yes…"

"Damn, a punishment in itself."

"…"

"Court is adjourned before I beat you to death."

"I feel loved," Gin commented loudly as a wave of shinigami hurried over to him, mostly those from his old division.

"I knew they'd let you off Captain."

"No doubt about it!"

"How you feeling Captain?"

"Captain Kira, can we have a party, please sir?"

"DRINKS ON ME!"

"Yo ho yo ho a pirate's life for me. Fifteen men on a dead man's chest. Yo ho-ho and a bottle of rum! Drink for the devil and done for the rest! Yo ho yo ho a pirate's life for me!"

"…"

"Where the hell did you learn that one captain?"

"I saw Pirates of the Caribbean. Very good trilogy. Next one is due out soon."

"Captain Kurosaki! Join us! You too Orihime-sama!"

"No way! We're minors you bunch of drunks!"

"Come on Ichigo, it might be fun, and we don't have to drink."

"ARG! DAMN IT! Hime, I have homework!"

"Onward to new adventure!"

"Awwwwwwww…"

(Three year later)

The Spirit Society had calmed down once the post war trauma was over. The human world had been put to peace once more. With the occasional hollow popping up to keep the shinigami on their feet.

In the world itself, things were pretty much on a usual basis. 11th squad members getting hurt and sent to the fourth division with their captain, Zaraki Kenpachi not far behind. Not for injures though, for Unohana. The greatest mystery of all indeed. But many of the females speculated the opposites attract. And Yachiru seemed fine with her new mommy.

On the opposite side of that, there was the regular argument between the two named couple of the year by the Shinigami Woman's Association, Renji and Rukia. Once or twice a week, the argument was between captain and lieutenant in the sixth squad. As Byakuya was starting to feel a tad nervous with his little sister rapidly approaching the marriageable age. It was a race between an arranged marriage with another noble family, and Renji. And so far, the one who would give consent was undecided.

Opposite of the knowledgeable guardian, we have the clueless one. A certain mad scientist who's daughter kept randomly disappearing to the human world. It seemed almost impossible to track her down to that hospital, or quiet forest training ground. No one would think to look in a certain Quincy's favorite spots.

Oh, but I'm not done talking about captains just yet. There's little Icy as Gin still calls him, and Momo together forever. They air around them was filled with so much love; the butterflies fly in an orbit around them to avoid getting cavities.

And then there's Captain Kurosaki. He's either A) at school, B) at home with his family, C) killing hollows and freeing spirits D) MIA to avoid paper work, damn that papery menace! E) Training. Or F) getting dragged back to do work by his lieutenant. And for A-F, he's always with Orihime who is either helping or hindering him. Hinder usually for F.

Now who am I forgetting?

"Calm down Rin, and get back here!"

"DADDY CAN'T CATCH ME!"

Oh yes, thank you. Let us zoom in on the Ichimarus, family of four. Gin Ichimaru, still stuck without his shinigami powers, chased after his eldest child, a little blond girl named Rin with too much energy, while leaning heavily on a cane. Gin didn't like the cane; he complained that it made him feel old.

His wife, Rangiku, usually laughed at this, and teased him about how the cane matched his hair. She was sitting on the porch with a little silver haired baby boy sleeping in her arms. She would have been at the office, but she was still on maternity leave for little Ingaku. The little devil demanded as much attention as his three year old sister.

Gin had magically adapted to his blindness. His eyes still hadn't recovered from whatever shock they had suffered. When someone asked for the explanation in idiot terms, Unohana said, "It's like Gin was in complete darkness, then, looking directly at it, turned on a light as bright as the sun up close." Those idiot terms explained it enough for everyone.

Rin let out a shriek as her father finally caught up to her, and grabbed the small child around her waist, effectively lifting her off her feet. "Yeah! Fly! Fly! Fly!" She giggled, waving her arms around.

"No fly," Gin told her, walking towards the basin of water that awaited the child, and was the reason for her running. "Bath." He dropped her in, and plopped down next to the basin as little Rin surfaced, squealing in delight as bubbles flew around her.

"Damn it," she giggled. "Bath!"

Rangiku looked up, startled. "Rin, you don't cuss, who taught you such language?"

"Ken-oji," the little girl replied.

"Don't copy what he says," her mother ordered.

Gin shook his head, feeling around for the bottle of shampoo. His fingers brushed against it at long last. Only to have it fall over and roll away.

"Here," Rangiku's voice called, putting the bottle in his hand. Smiling his thanks, Gin turned back to his daughter, who was having a ball with all the bubbles. Mommy Rangiku smiled fondly at her husband and daughter, who were now having a water fight, before Ingaku woke up, and wanted attention.

The routines of people both in the human world and spirit world continued. Family's shared happy moments, couples grew closer, and protected one another from forces of questionable origin.

You helped me, so I protected you in your weakest moment. And they let us be together in _**the end.**_

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__

Okay, done. It was just a short-ish one shot for all you Rangiku/Gin fans out there, as they are a cute couple. I was going for a more simple, emotional one here, instead of die hard romance, or cute little kids, so it felt off. But I like it, Hikari's bouncing around giggling, and Toitsu is nodding, so I guess its okay.

Read and review! Come on it's not hard. Here, I'll help you. The little button on the left, next to the scroll down thingy. Yes, the lavender purple one. Press it. Write something. Anything. Than press the button on that screen!

Ciao.


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